Busy pre-game at CLink today

CenturyLink Field will be open to full capacity when the Sounders play the Galaxy at 6:30 p.m. today, and a crowd of about 55,000 is expected. Remember also, that the Mariners conclude their season at Safeco this afternoon with a 12:10 game. With all that going on, the Sounders encourage fans to arrive early, and have lined up several pre-game events for those who do.

Here’s the word from the club:

With a bevy of matchday festivities this weekend, Sounders FC is encouraging fans to arrive early for Sunday's full-stadium, nationally televised fixture against the LA Galaxy (6:30 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 1, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). As part of a special pre-match ceremony at CenturyLink Field, the club is set to honor the 2015 National Soccer Hall of Fame induction class that includes Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid and former goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Additionally, presenting matchday partner Halo 5: Guardians is giving away commemorative t-shirts to the first 20,000 fans, in addition to putting on a number of other engagements throughout the stadium.

As part of Sunday's special pre-match ceremony at CenturyLink Field, Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid and former goalkeeper Kasey Keller are being honored on-field for their respective 2015 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductions. Schmid, the all-time leader for wins as a Head Coach in MLS history, and Keller, a four-time FIFA World Cup veteran, join the late Glenn "Mooch" Myernick to make up the class of 2015, which (was) inducted on Saturday, October 3 at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.

In partnership with presenting matchday partner Halo 5: Guardians, the first 20,000 fans at CenturyLink Field on Sunday are set to receive Halo 5: Guardians and Sounders FC commemorative T-shirts that are being handed out upon entry at the gates. Those in attendance also have the opportunity to see Halo 5: Guardians come to life, as a life-size Warthog vehicle featured in the Halo franchise will be in Soccer Celebration, and Halo 5: Guardians characters the Master Chief and Spartan Locke will be on-site for fans to take pictures and interact with throughout Sunday's match. Additionally, a scavenger hunt is taking place at halftime, where the Master Chief and Spartan Locke will be planted within CenturyLink Field concourses, encouraging fans to find them for the opportunity to win a Sounders FC / Halo 5 Guardians kit.

Sunday's March to the Match festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. PT and feature a performance from Mashd N Kutcher. The internationally recognized DJ duo is using sound gathered from a Sounders FC training session and match this week to create a Sounders FC-themed mashup. The March itself, one of the best traditions in American sports started by the Emerald City Supporters, departs from Occidental Park at 5:30 p.m. PT for CenturyLink Field.

As part of October being National Brest Cancer Awareness Month, American Cancer Society is hosting a pre-match event at THE NINETY on Sunday from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m. PT. The event is open to the public, as fans are encouraged to come by and participate in a variety of ways to benefit breast cancer research.

Sunday's national anthem is being performed by 13-year-old guitarist Max Toth, a Los Angeles native and classic rock guitar enthusiast. Toth currently plays with the band Love Ghost and will perform an instrumental rendition of the Star Spangled Banner for the Sounders FC faithful.

Announced earlier this week, Sounders FC and Xbox teamed-up to produce brand new Halo 5: Guardians-themed that the club is wearing for Sunday's match. The initiative marks the first time an MLS club has altered its jerseys for any match mid-season, as well as the first time Sounders FC has worn anything other than Rave Green jerseys for an MLS regular season home fixture. The new Halo 5: Guardians-inspired jerseys utilize Sounders FC's Pitch Black third kits. During warmups, Sounders FC players are also wearing limited edition pre-match training tops, custom-made with Sounders FC and Halo 5: Guardians branding. Sunday's match is the only opportunity that fans have to buy this one-of-a-kind jersey, as a limited supply of 200 are available for purchase at the CenturyLink Field Pro Shop. Complete information on the week's Halo 5: Guardians-inspired content is available at SoundersFC.com/Halo5.

Fans are also encouraged to be mindful of traffic in downtown Seattle on Sunday, with a Seattle Mariners home game beginning at 12:10 p.m. PT at Safeco Field and a Neil Young + Promise of the Real concert at WaMu Theater from 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. PT.

Following an unbeaten three-match MLS road swing, Sounders FC meets the LA Galaxy for the third and final time in the 2015 MLS regular season. Sunday's match kicks-off at 6:30 p.m. PT from CenturyLink Field and has crucial MLS Cup Playoffs implications, as Seattle and LA currently sit in fourth and first place, respectively, in the Western Conference. Tickets are still available for Sunday's match and can be purchased via the following link: http://sndrs.com/5gnq.